List of gadgets
One popular element of the James Bond franchise is the exotic equipment and vehicles he is assigned on his missions, which often prove to be critically useful. The original books and early adaptations had only relatively minimal pieces like the modified attache case in From Russia with Love. However, the gadgets took on a more spectacular profile in the film version of Goldfinger and its tremendous success encouraged the following films to have Bond supplied still more equipment. For instance, it became an expected scene in each film where Q would present and demonstrate Bond's assigned tools for the mission, and it was a near guarantee that each and every piece would be invaluable to Bond in the field. In this sense, Bond gadgets became a prime example of the literary technique of Chekhov's gun. Fans eventually complained that the use of gadgets became excessive in the Roger Moore films, particularly in Moonraker, and subsequent productions struggled to find a balance in which gadgets could have a place without giving the impression that the character unduly depended on them or using stories that arbitrarily included situations that exactly fit the use of the gadgets assigned. This article concerns the gadgets James Bond typically carried on his person, along with additional gadgets used by others. For his gadget vehicles, see List of James Bond vehicles. ''Dr. No'' *Walther PPK - Technically the only notable "gadget" in the entire film is when M and Major Boothroyd (Q) force Bond to trade in his Beretta 950 for the new standard issue, the Walther PPK. Bond has since used a Walther PPK in every movie up to Tomorrow Never Dies, in which he has a Walther P99. In Quantum of Solace again use the Walther PPK. *Geiger counter - Bond has to request one from Britain before using it to determine the radioactivity of Crab Key, suggesting they were uncommon. *Luminous watch - Bond has a watch with a luminous, slightly radioactive face that glows in the dark. This is a holdover from Fleming's novels, in which Bond is described as having a similar watch. ''From Russia with Love'' *Briefcase - This is Bond's first real film gadget. This briefcase given to Bond by Q-Branch contains a folding sniper rifle inside while ammunition, a knife and fifty gold sovereigns are contained in secret compartments accessible on the outside of the case. In addition, there is a safety mechanism that will detonate a gas bomb in the briefcase if opened improperly. This case is almost identical to the one described in Fleming's novel except the book added a cyanide capsule which Bond was to use to commit suicide upon capture (Bond immediately flushes it down a toilet). *Pager - Bond had one to notify him if he ever needed to contact MI6. It is worth noting that Bond also had a phone installed in his car as well. *Bug detector - A small device that is designed to detect the presence of a phone tap device in a regular telephone when placed against such a device. *Garotte watch - A wristwatch from which a wire garrote can be drawn. Used by Red Grant first to strangle a man dressed as Bond as part of A training exercise in the opening scene and later to attempt to strangle the actual Bond in the film's climax. *Tape recorder camera - A small reel-to-reel tape recorder hidden within a camera use to interrogate Tatiana. *Dagger shoes - Shoes with poisoned blades concealed in the shoes worn by Rosa Klebb. The blades would pop out of the front of the shoes, making kicks extremely dangerous. The poison killed within seven seconds. ''Goldfinger'' *Homing beacon - Bond is given two homing beacons from Q-branch. The first is larger and used when Bond tracks the villain, Auric Goldfinger, to his base. The second is smaller and allows MI6 to know where Bond is. He hides it in a secret compartment in the heel of his shoe. *Reference is made to Bond having an attaché case that is damaged (presumed destroyed) when examined by Goldfinger's personnel. This may be a reference to the agent briefcase introduced in From Russia with Love, or it could have been another piece of luggage that had been rigged to self-destruct when tampered with. *Oddjob, Goldfinger's henchman, uses a special hat with a metal disc under the brim as a throwing weapon. The hat is capable of chopping stone and metal when thrown hard enough. ''Thunderball'' *Homing Pill - When Bond takes this pill, it emits a signal that can be detected only by a certain receiver. *Rebreather - A small device that can be carried on the person without notice and when in use, is held in the mouth to provide a few minutes of air in emergencies or when the user has to go underwater. *Jet pack - Used to propel Bond into the air when escaping after killing Col. Bouvard. *Missile-firing scuba tank - During the final undersea battle, Bond is equipped with a bulky scuba tank that not only propels him through the water faster than anyone can swim, it also shoots small missiles. ''You Only Live Twice'' *Shooting Cigarette - Tiger gives Bond a cigarette capable of shooting a jet powered projectile accurately up to 30 yards. Used in Blofeld's volcano to kill a technician standing by the entrance controls to enable his allies to storm the base. *Safecracker - A small device that can easily be carried in a jacket pocket and works by attaching it to a safe the operator wants to open. With it properly positioned, the user needs only to turn the combination dial and the device would light up a series of lights as each correct number on the combination dial is found until the entire series is revealed to open the safe. However, Bond finds out the hard way that gadget is not designed to defeat a safe's other security functions, such as alarms. *Explosive Bullets - Tiger's specially trained ninjas, as well as Tiger himself are armed with Gyrojet pistols that use rocket-propelled explosive bullets in lieu of standard ammunition ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service'' *After Bond resigns from MI6, we see him cleaning out his desk, and gadgets from past films are shown, including the rebreather from Thunderball and Red Grant's garotte watch from From Russia with Love. ''Diamonds Are Forever'' ''Live and Let Die'' This movie is noteworthy in that the gadgets break their own stereotype several times. *Espresso machine. M, expecting it to be another agent gadget, finds it to be nothing more than a coffee maker thus triggering his surprised exclamation: "Is that all it does?!" *The Magentic watch (see above). When threatened by alligators, this is one of the rare occasions when a gadget actually fails to save Bond. He does escape the peril, but by using a non-gadget solution. *Aftershave flamethrower. One of the few gadgets ever improvised by Bond in the field, and thus not manufactured by Q branch. This was created by Bond spraying an aerosol can of aftershave past the lit end of his cigar in order to kill a venomous snake. Another gadget-related exception is that Q does not make an appearance in this movie. ''The Man with the Golden Gun'' ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' ''Moonraker'' ''For Your Eyes Only'' ''Octopussy'' ''A View To A Kill'' ''The Living Daylights'' ''Licence to Kill'' ''GoldenEye'' ''Tomorrow Never Dies'' ''The World is Not Enough'' This film marks the only one occasion in the Bond film series (as of 2005) where Bond has expressed concern as to what Q will think when equipment is destroyed. This happens when Bond's BMW Z8 is sawed in half. In a twist of unforeseeable irony, this happens after Desmond Llewelyn makes his final screen appearance as Q. Llewelyn was killed in a car accident shortly after the film premiered. ''Die Another Day'' Because this film marks the 40th Anniversary of James Bond films in addition to the film being the 20th in the franchise, there are multiple references to each previous official film. Some examples include: *Bell-Textron Jet Pack (Thunderball) *Snorkel with false bird on top (Goldfinger) *Piton gun Diamonds Are Forever *Attache Case (From Russia with Love) *Bede Acrostar Jet (Octopussy) *One-person submarine (disguised as Crocodile) (Octopussy) *Little Nellie (You Only Live Twice) *Dagger-Toed Shoe (From Russia with Love). ''Casino Royale'' fr:Liste des gadgets de James Bond List of James Bond gadgets Category:Fictional technology